This brief was originally written by Rylan Forester. It was updated and published by Sahara Snizek.

Jordan plays a central role in the Middle East, as an oasis of stability in a region full of conflict, making it a key ally of the U.S., U.K., and the EU. Militarily, Jordan has been a U.S. partner since it was designated as a Major Non-NATO ally in 1996. Most recently, Jordanian military forces have worked in frequent collaboration with regional and international allies, like the U.S., to combat ISIS in Syria, specifically in the south along the Jordanian-Syrian border.

Fact sheet

• Population: 10,998,531
  • Palestinian Refugees: 2,307,011
  • Syrian Refugees: 675,040
• Capital: Amman
• System of Governance: Constitutional Monarchy (with a parliamentary system)
• Leader: King Abdullah II
• Majority Language: Arabic
• Majority Religion: Sunni Islam
• GDP Per Capita: $4,282.8 (USD)
• Global Freedom Score: 33/100
• GINI Index: 33.7

Source: The World Fact Book CIA

History of Jordan’s Relations with the U.S.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan became an independent state in 1946, when the nation ousted British control. Abdullah I was the first king of Jordan and his family, the House of Hashim, is believed to be ancestors of the Prophet Muhammad. Jordan’s interactions with the U.S. have historically been tied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. When Palestine was officially partitioned by the 1947 UN Resolution and war broke out a year later, Jordan annexed the West Bank, yet 700,000 Palestinian Arabs fled their homes and headed between the West Bank and Transjordan because of the violence. Today, there are more than two million Palestinian refugees living in Jordan, not to mention the millions of Palestinians who are now Jordanian citizens. Jordan lost the West Bank to Israel in the 1967 Six Day War and as a result, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), then led by Yasser Arafat, fled to Jordanl.

More than twenty years later in 1994, President Clinton orchestrated the signing of the Jordan-Israel peace treaty between Israel and Jordan, making the Hashemite Kingdom the second Arab country, after Egypt, to normalize ties with Israel. After almost fifty years in power, King Hussein of Jordan passed away in 1999 and his son Abdullah II ascended to the throne. Under King Abdullah II’s reign, Jordan increased ties with the West which has boosted its economy. The 2008 financial crisis worsened the Jordanian economy as well as exacerbated civil unrest which came with Arab Spring protests in the country in 2011. Abdullah II ushered in a series of economic and political reforms which satisfied protesters, but an influx of Syrian refugees has overwhelmed Jordan’s public services. 

Challenges for Jordan

• Lack of Water Resources: Jordan is the 15th most water-stressed country in the world, according to the World Resources Institute. The factors increasing water scarcity in the country are population growth, reduction of flow in the Yarmouk River due to the creation of dams in Syria, lack of rainfall due to climate change, and overuse of groundwater. Private wells that have been illegally constructed by residents have also contributed to unsuitable groundwater extraction. In the north part of the region, a substantial influx of Syrian refugees have heightened the demand for water as well. According to a study by Stanford University, a combination of dwindling water resources and a continually growing population are predicted to halve per capita water use in Jordan by the end of the century. 
• Devoid of hydrocarbon resources: Unlike its oil rich neighbors, the Hashemite Kingdom is devoid of hydrocarbon resources. Jordan’s stability has made the country a refuge for displaced neighbors when wars force residents to abandon their homes. Jordan is hosts more than two million Palestinian refugees and the majority of Jordanian citizens are Palestinian (including the current Queen Rania Al-Abdullah), so Israeli-Palestinian issues are Jordanian issues and politics. The Hashemite Kingdom remains one of the most ardent defenders of Palestinian rights and adocates for Palestinian demands such as the right to return or its claim to East Jerusalem. Nevertheless, since 1994, when Jordan normalized ties with Israel, Amman has expanded trade and engagement with the Jewish state to the dismay of some Palestinians in Jordan.
• Islamic State (ISIS): The instability in Syria, caused by the civil war, brought 700,000 Syrian refugees to Jordan and fueled ISIS’ rise. To date, 3,000 Jordanians have joined the terrorist group, the third most from any country in the world. King Abdullah is no friend to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but the war has disrupted Syria’s trade with Jordan and brought terrorism to Jordan’s border. The Hashemite Kingdom has cooperated with regional allies like the UAE along with international partners like the United States to combat ISIS. 
• Iran: Iran’s rising influence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen poses a potential threat to Jordan and has pushed the Kingdom into further cooperation with like-minded Sunni Arab states throughout the region. The Hashemite monarchy is wary of the Iranian regime which has been out-spoken in its support for the overthrow of Sunni monarchs. As Iran expands its presence in the region, Jordan may seek closer ties with its Sunni-Arab partners as a counterbalance. 
• Building Relations with China: Although U.S.-Jordanian relations remain strong, Amman has increasingly engaged with China through Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Since the project launched in 2013, Jordan has become a key member of the BRI. PRC officials hope to build on progress in Jordan to connect the rest of the Levant with projects in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, the Mediterranean, and Eurasia. 

U.S. Strategic Interests

• Promote Peace between Israel and Palestinians: Behind Israel, Jordan is one of the U.S.’ key regional allies. The U.S. and Jordan share the goal of creating peace between Israel and Palestine. In recent talks between President Biden and King Abdullah II, Biden asserted his support for a two-state solution. Jordan can be a key mediator in resolving the conflict due to its geographic position, cooperation with Israel’s military, shared intelligence with the U.S., the U.K, and Israel, and global collaboration to end the war on terror. Jordan also belongs to several multilateral organizations such as the Arab Quartet, Munich Group, and the Jerusalem Committee at the Organization for the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which can assist in facilitating a two-state solution.
• The War on Terror: Amman shares the U.S.’ goal to combat terrorism, and actively participates with the U.S. and other Sunni Arab states in missions to combat ISIS in Syria. Jordan is a regional leader in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Intelligence collaboration between the U.S. and Jordan continues to contribute to the U.S.’ counterterrorism and countering violent extremism efforts in the Middle East.
• Counter Iran’s Influence in the Region: Jordan, like many of its neighbors, has grown increasingly concerned about Iran’s involvement in the region. Iran has pursued the production of nuclear weapons without full adherence to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safety standards, and supports militant splinter groups across the region which have an overall destabilizing influence. Jordan collaborates with the U.S. and Sunni neighbors to limit Iran’s influence and promote stability. 

House Refugees: Jordan’s role as a safe haven for Middle East refugees contributes to regional stability and more broadly, global stability. More than 700,000 Palestinians fled to Jordan in 1948. Instability in Iraq, triggered by the 2003 U.S. invasion of the country has displaced more than 750,000 Iraqi refugees currently residing in Jordan. The Syrian civil war has caused 700,000 Syrians to seek refuge in Jordan as well.